1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print control data generating apparatus, a print management apparatus, and a printing apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique capable of restricting an output of a print job.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional printing system, a host computer generates image data and a printing apparatus receives the image data via a network from the host computer. The printing apparatus prints an image on a sheet based on the received image data.
In this kind of printing system, reduction in a total cost of ownership (TCO) is the key to realize effective cost reduction in an office environment or preservation of a global environment. The TCO in a printing system includes initial costs for printing devices or the system as well as the costs for various supplies including printing sheets and toners or other coloring agents.
In a network printing system, each user of a client terminal or device accessible to a network can freely use a printing apparatus provided for common use in an office. Accordingly, no one is restricted from using the printing apparatus. The printing result of each user is not checked. Thus, a user may excessively perform printing because of easiness in using the printing apparatus. Thus, the printing costs in an office increase greatly.
To solve the problem, as a first method, a printing system can restrict printing of each user based on address information such as IP address according to the TCP/IP technology. Furthermore, as a second method, a printing system can manage a total number of prints based on an obtained log. However, according to the first method, the print restriction is applied to a host computer identified by a specific IP address. Thus, the first method cannot precisely restrict an output (printed sheets) for each user.
On the other hand, the second method can precisely manage the output (printed sheets) for each user with reference to the log recording the print result. However, an administrator of this system is required to constantly monitor the log to check any unauthorized printing. Accordingly, the second method requires a great amount of human costs and cannot reduce the TCO.
To solve the above-described problems, as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-150336, a printing system can restrict an output of each user. The printing system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-150336 includes a server, clients, and printers. The server collects printing results from the printers. The server manages a printable sheet number for each user based on the collected printing result. A user of each client can log in to the server. The client obtains, from the server, a printable sheet number being set for a user having issued a job. The client issues a job including the printable sheet number to the printer. The printer performs print processing based on the restriction of the job.
Furthermore, as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-64770, a host computer can obtain an authentication ticket from an authentication apparatus. The authentication ticket assures the right to use an external apparatus. This system requires the host computer to transmit an authentication ticket to each external apparatus when the host computer uses a service of the external apparatus.
According to the system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-64770, the host computer transfers authentication information (e.g., user ID and password) to the authentication apparatus and obtains a master ticket indicating authentication for a user. The host computer stores the authentication information (e.g., user ID and password) together with the obtained master ticket. Subsequently, the host computer obtains an authentication ticket from the authentication apparatus based on the master ticket. The host computer transfers the authentication ticket to an external apparatus and uses an available service of the external apparatus based on the authentication ticket.
A term of validity is set for the master ticket. If the term of validity for the master ticket has expired, the host computer transfers the authentication information (user ID, password) stored therein to the authentication apparatus and obtains a new master ticket.
According to the printing system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-150336, the host computer requests the authentication server to perform user authentication. If the user authentication is successfully completed, the host computer obtains output restriction information from the authentication server. The host computer restricts print processing for each user based on the obtained output restriction information. However, the printing system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-150336 has the following problems.
If the printing apparatus can execute all print jobs based on the output restriction information obtained from the authentication server, no problem may arise. However, the host computer possibly uses a general printer driver if a dedicated printer driver cannot be forcibly used for the host computer. In this case, a print job input to the printing apparatus is free from the user authentication performed by the authentication server. Furthermore, the print job input to the printing apparatus does not include output restriction information that restricts the number of prints. Accordingly, the printing system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-150336 cannot restrict an output of the print job as intended if the host computer uses a general printer driver.
The system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-64770 enables a user to continuously use an intended service of an external apparatus without any consciousness even after the term of validity for an authentication ticket has expired.
Another conventional system includes a print server that can temporarily store a print job including an authentication ticket and transmit the print job to a printing apparatus. The security level of this system is not high because the user authentication information is stored in the print server.
The system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-64770 cannot update the authentication ticket unless the user authentication information is used. Accordingly, the print server cannot request the authentication apparatus to update the authentication ticket. If the term of validity for an authentication ticket has expired, a reissue of the authentication ticket or substitute printing to other printing apparatus cannot be realized.